The Retributor
by NorthEasternSpirit
Summary: After death, an Umbreon is caught right in the balance during judgement. Rather than wandering the world aimlessly, he sells his soul to Giratina and is sent back to be a retributor, or the bounty hunters of hell. Along with the four other retibutors, he descends upon the earth to enact judgement upon the wicked and maybe get a second lease on his life.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

Retribution

noun

punishment that is considered to be morally right and fully deserved

Retributor

noun

one who give retribution

"This is the most interesting pokemon I've ever encountered. A pokemon whose heart is right in the balance of light and dark. I can't send him to hell, I can't send him to heaven. But there is no place in between for him. He has been on the dark side for almost his entire life, but moments before death, made a crucial decision to push him straight into the balance." The dark lord and guardian of the underworld Giratina was perched in his throne, motionless.

Next to him stood the three goddesses, Yori, Yomi, and Yobi, the three ever-seeing mystic beings. Yori the Gardevoir sees the regrets in one's mind, Yomi the Xatu sees the fear in one's mind, and Yobi the Gothitelle sees the passions in one's mind. Yori stepped up, and bowed down. "My lord, he must join the retributors. The other four stuck in the balance…"

Giratina frowned. "Yes, he is powerful. But the burden of being a retributor is great. _And_ he must be willing to devote his life to it."

Yori spoke. "I see all his regrets. He regrets not telling the Glaceon he loved her before he died. He regrets not thanking his parents. He regrets becoming what he had become." She stepped back.

Yomi stepped up. "I see all his fears. His fear of death, his fear of betrayal, his fear of the good in his heart." She stepped back.

Finally, Yobi stepped up. "I see his passions. His passion for women, his passion for the weak, his passion for killing. But there is another passion… hidden. The passion to bring down the high, and to raise the low."

"Hmm… that sounds like a prefect retributor. Fetch me his soul."

The Umbreon appeared in front of Giratina and promptly collapsed. "You are a hitman. I understand that. You would take out people. But I'm going to offer you a rare chance, to join the elite killers. But you kill only under my command, bringing fear into the dark."

The Umbreon struggled to his feet. "I don't want to kill anymore. I see how terrible a pokemon I was, and I'm fine going to hell."

The Giratina growled. "I cannot send you to hell, because your soul is too good for that. Oh, how I would love do that, but I am forbidden. You can either wander the earth as a spirit, with no purpose, or serve under me, with your soul at my mercy. If you obey me, I might give you a second chance. If not, your soul will burn eternally. What do you say?"

The Umbreon thought about it, then said, "I'll do it."

**As always, please read and review.**


	2. Ch1

**Chapter One-Hellsent**

"What the hell is wrong with this guy? He won't wake!"

"Oh shut up, we're all from hell!"

"Quiet, his eyes are opening!"

"About time…"

"Hmph."

Cain opened his eyes, feeling like he'd been hit by a train. "Where am I?"

Next to him stood four pokemon, a Gallade, a Samurott, a Lopunny, and a Swellow.

"You, my friend, are in a building," said the Samurott.

"No shit! We're on the top of a fucking mountain, Vince!" said the Gallade.

"Can you two shut up? He's looking at you two like you've just punched him," said the Lopunny.

"I'll punch 'em if he wants me too…" said the Gallade, and Cain had a feeling he wasn't joking.

The Swellow on the side rolled her eyes. "You all sound like fucking idiots, arguing like that!"

The other three all sighed, then turned to Cain. "You are…" started the Samurott.

"Cain. Cain the Umbreon."

The Gallade laughed, then stopped when they all looked at him. "Sorry, had a funny thought."

The Lopunny continued. "This is Vince," she said pointing to the Samurott. "He's the oldest of us all here."

"That Gallade is Blade."

"Huh. Blade the Gallade," chimed in Vince. "And you laughed at his name."

"Shut up."

"I'm Liz, and this is Gail. We are like you; retributors."

"Retributor. I head Giratina mention that. You guys are supposedly the bounty hunters of hell or something, right?"

Vince nodded. "That's right. In addition to having our regular strengths, we have all been gifted with super senses, and powers well beyond our normal species."

His mind was racing. "Super senses?"

"Yeah, we're just whispering now," said Liz. "See?"

"That's… pretty cool…"

Blade chuckled. "It sure is, if I say so myself."

The others all murmured in agreement. Suddenly, Cain heard a loud buzzing in his head. "Arghh, what the fuck is that noise?"

The others all sighed. "Giratina's sending is a message. Looks like there's some person who needs to be taught a lesson," said Gail.

Vince grinned. "Finally. It's been a whole day since we got a call. I could use some exercise. Lets see…"

As if on cue, a large note materialized out of nowhere. Liz picked it up. "It's some dude named Crusher. Hmph, the names some people have these days."

The others all nodded, then walked out of a door. Almost in shock, Cain was left behind. "Hey, wait up!"

He quickly caught up to them, and blinked the sunlight out of his eyes. _Moonlight…_ He remembered the last day he was living…

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"Hello? This is Kate."

"Oh Kate! It's Cain."

"Cain? Oh, it's been too long! What have you been up to?"

"Assass… Assessing pokemon for their true potential."

"Oh that's pretty cool. But what do you want? You haven't talked to me for over a year."

"Well, I was thinking…" He swished his tail. "Have you seen _Lucky Charm_?"

"Oh, not yet. Are you asking me out on a date?"

"Well… yeah. I know it's been so long, but I was feeling a little lonely…"

He heard her laugh. "Alright, I'll meet you at the theater at 6:00. Don't be late!"

"Okay, bye Kate."

"Bye bye, Cain."

He put down his phone, and sighed. He had been doubtful that Kate would even remember him, but it turns out she did. They had broken up about a year ago, but had remained friends. But the real reason he wanted to talk to her was because tonight was the last time he would be known as Cain the Umbreon. Tomorrow, he would be Aldwyn.

He suspected that the police had picked up enough information on the killings to find him, but knew they needed intelligence to find him. Still, a hitman never takes unnecessary risks.

He stepped into the theater, and heard a voice behind him. "Cain!" He turned around to see the graceful Glaceon walking towards him. The two of them hugged, and he remembered all the great times they had together.

"Kate. You haven't changed one bit!"

"Nor have you, Cain!"

"Alright, want to go see the movie?"

"Of course, Cain! Let's go!"

In the corner, a Flareon looked across. He pulled out his microphone. "Kingston, permission to engage target."

"Permission granted."

The movie had began when a massive explosion occurred. Nobody seemed injured, but it put the theater into chaos, as pokemon screamed and blindly ran for the exits.

"Cain! What's going on?" asked Kate, panic in her voice.

"We gotta run!" he said through gritted teeth. _They found me!_

They took a side exit and came out into a dark alleyway. The Flareon watched them. "Target is running. Going after that bitch!"

The two of them looked behind and saw the Flareon chasing them. "What's happening?" said Kate, breathing hard.

"They're after me!" He felt his lungs burning.

"Why?"

He decided not to answer that question. They came to the port of the city, and the boat, _Fury_ was getting ready to leave. He looked back at the Flareon, and saw he was only a few hundred yards away. He looked at Kate, and thought about how beautiful she looked, and how she had always looked out for him. _My turn!_

"Kate, get on the boat, please."

"What? Why?"

"That Flareon is after me. I've… I've done some terrible things…"

"Then you come with me!"

"No. He will hunt us, and find us. If you're alone, he can't go after you. Please, go now!"

The Flareon was only about 30 yards away now. Kate shed a tear, and said, "Bye, Cain!"

"Bye, Kate!"

And she ran toward the bridge leading to the boat. And then Cain felt the searing pain of a flamethrower. He jumped back.

"Bitch, I've got you now!"

He was too tired to reply. Then the Flareon opened his mouth, and shot a concentrated fireball straight at him. He remembered the intense heat before losing life. He heard Kate scream, and blacked out.

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He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to focus on the past. He knew he had a job to do, and the others were ahead of him.

"Cain, are you alright?" It was Gail.

"I'm fine." He ran up to where the others were. "Are we allowed to meet those we knew from our life?"

"Normally, no. We have no connection to them; they can't see us, they can't feel us, and they can't sense us. Over time, as we take down more targets, our connection is slowly restored. First, you can only talk to them in dreams. Then they can slowly see you in real life, until you become part of the real world again. But this may take hundreds of years, if you don't succeed. And your friends will die around you."

He shivered. "Lets go."


	3. Ch2

**Chapter Two-First Blood**

"You little fuck!"

"P-p-please! I haven't done anyth-OOF!" The young Ralts was punched hard.

"Money, bitch."

"B-but I need it to buy my mother some medicine-"

"Shut up. Hand it over." The Scrafty raised his fist menacingly.

With a little whimper, the Ralts handed over his money to the Scrafty, who threw it into the air before catching it. "See you around bi-" He turned around to see a Gallade standing there, shaking his head.

"What a wimp. Can't pick a fight with somebody your own size." His eyes were closed, one foot against the wall, arms crossed.

"Hey! You want to die, bitch?"

Blade opened his eyes. "I've already died. Dying again to a wimp like you would be such a dishonor." The Scrafty growled, and charged the Gallade. With a quick slash, Blade decapitated the bully. "Bitch." He quickly pulled a towel out, and wiped the blood off his arm. He sighed. "So easy it's boring. Here kid." The Ralts picked up the wallet, screamed, and ran off.

"D-did he see us?"

"No. We can connect to those we are sent to kill. To the little boy, it looked like the Scrafty was talking to himself, then somehow got stabbed. Across the throat, you know. It's explainable."

Cain felt sick. He had been an assassin, but… well, Blade had finished him off in a matter of seconds.

Next to him, Liz sighed. "Efficient as ever, Blade." She turned to Cain, and patted him on the back. "You alright, Cain? You look sick…"

He forced himself to relax. "I am sick… it's just… well, that was brutal."

Vince shook his head. "I don't know. Is he ready? I mean, sure, he's been approved. But can he really take a life when necessary? I don't know…"

Cain walked outside of the alleyway, unsteady. "I-I think I'm going to puke…" He tried throwing up, but nothing came up once he left the alley. He sighed, feeling marginally better. He stood up, ready to walk away, when he heard a voice.

"Y-yes. Three roses please…"

_Kate! Kate! She's here!_ His body felt warm. Then he remembered he couldn't talk to her. He turned around to see his pretty friend talking to a florist, a male Leafeon by the looks of it. "Oh. Who's the lucky guy?"

Kate looked speechless, before stuttering, "W-well, I haven't seen him in awhile. About a year to be exact…" She brushed ears the way she always did when she was nervous.

_A-a year?! It's been a year already?! _There was so much he wanted to say to Kate. Yet he couldn't… When he came too, he realized she was walking away. He followed her closely, and realized she was going to the pier where he had…

The young Glaceon sat at the edge of the pier, took off her sneakers, and dipped her feet into the water. "Cain… it's been a year since you left me…" She pulled a petal off of one of the roses, and dropped it into the sea. "Oh Cain…" Tears were in her eyes, and it was clear that she was fighting the urge to cry. "I miss you…"

"Kate…" He tried to hug her, but her body felt almost surreal.

"Cain, where are… oh…" He recognized Gail's voice. He imagined the four of them watching him, but he didn't care. He felt tears welling up in his eyes. _So much I have to tell her…_

Sobbing gently, she plucked the petals, until there was nothing left, then tossed the barren stems into the ocean. "Cain…" She stood up, and he let go of her.

"K-Kate…" She picked up her purse and put on her shoes. Then she started walking. But before she left the pier, she looked to her right, straight at Cain. Her eyes still puffy from tears, she smiled gently, then left Cain with his fellow retributors.

"Who was that?" Liz gently rested her hand on his back.

"I loved her," croaked Cain. "I loved her. And I never told her." He felt phlegm rising in his throat, and forced it down.

Blade spoke up, sounding more gentle than Cain expected the viscous Gallade could be. "It's okay, bud. I once loved too, believe it or not. I know the pain you are going through, so I won't bug you." The Gallade nudged Cain gently. "C'mon. We can return home now."

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Cain didn't speak the rest of the night. He lay on the futon in the hotel they had initially been in. He didn't ask how the owners of the hotel didn't bother five undead pokemon in one of the room.

"Hey… Cain. You have to eat."

"No. Leave me alone." Gail had tried to offer him some food, but he turned away from her

He heard her sigh. "Look, I know what you're going through is tough. But if we work hard enough, Giratina will restore our connection. That's what drives us. I'm able to be seen faintly with enough effort nowadays, and I'm getting bolder each day. But don't ever feel sorry for yourself. You're lucky to have a chance like us. We all are."

He sighed, realizing she had a point. "Good night."

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_Kate remembered sitting in college one night, studying._

_ "Kate! What are you doing? We don't have another exam for a month!" Her friend, Erica, a Jolteon sighed exasperatedly. "You're already at a 4.0! And it's friggin 1:30 already! Let's sleep!"_

_ "Can't hurt to get a head start, can it?" She yawned, then turned off the light. "Fine. I guess we can…"_

_ They heard somebody knock on the door. They exchanged surprised glances. "At this time?" exclaimed Erica._

_ "I don't know… it's not Marcus, is it?"_

_ "No!"_

_Kate opened the door slowly to see a handsome looking Umbreon. She frowned. "Hello… aren't you in my physics class?"_

_"Err, yeah. I heard from my friends you got it… and, well, the homework was giving me problems. So I was wondering if you could help me…"_

_"At this time?"_

_"Leave us alone!" shouted Erica, and the Umbreon flattened his ears. "I-I'm sorry, I'll…"_

_"Don't mind Erica." She shot a glare at her friend, then turned back to the Umbreon. "Maybe tomorrow morning, at about 9:00, we'll meet at the fountain. First, what's your name?"_

_He rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm Cain."_

_"Kate." The two of them shook hands. "Look, how about you go back to your dorm. We'll meet at the fountain. Deal?"_

_"Sure." She got ready to close the door, when he said, "Hey. Thanks." He shot her a smile. She blushed gently before closing it._

_"So?" Erica nudged Kate jokingly._

_"Shut up. He just needed some help with his homework. We're going to meet at the fountain."_

_"Sure he didn't need help with anything else?"_

_"Shut up. Please."_

Kate woke up, and took a deep breath. _Should I have told him the truth? That I liked him even then?_ She rubbed her eyes gently, and stared out the window. She took a deep breath. _I swear I can feel your presence… but… no._

**I realize I haven't updated this in 4ever… yeah. Forgive me Read and review!**


	4. Ch3

**Chapter Three- The Archangels**

_Archangels… the four highest beings, and Arceus' closest followers. Gabriel, the archangel of music and water; Michael, the archangel of winds and learning; Raphael, the archangel of healing, and Uriel, the archangel of war and flames._

"You see, many years ago, us retributors had to directly fight these heavenly beings. Much like how we work for Giratina, they work for Arceus. They kill unholy beings like us and our prey."

Cain frowned at the story Vince had explained to him. "Archangels? Like those things with wings?"

"Don't joke about it," said Blade. "We have not met one yet, any of us. But I guarantee you they are out there, reincarnated." The Gallade peered out the window. "They are possibly the four most dangerous Pokemon in the living world, granted super powers by Arceus."

Gail sighed. "In the time I have been a retributor, I have not caught whiff of one yet. But there certainly is reason to be scared, Cain."

"Ay, they are the only beings, aside from the gods themselves, that can finish us retributors. For good."

"Yeah. We don't know what form they are in, but we know they are protected with holy guidance. Whenever we go on an outing, we must be careful. Next alert, you get your first chance," said Blade.

"Oh." He felt his heart sink. "Alright…"

Vince frowned. "For a former assassin, you seem remarkably unhappy about that."

"Well," he began, "Blade decimated the guy. Like it was nothing. I mean, I've never been able to kill that savagely…"

Blade patted him on the back. "You'll be fine, bud. Anyways, have you been sword-trained…?"

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"I've got 'em."

"Oh really?" The four other pokemon murmured among themselves. "Where's Alpheus?" asked one of them in a deep, masculine voice.

"He's is checking with lord Arceus, " said a delicate female voice. "He knows what to do," she said softly.

Another female snorted. "Yeah right, Theia. He nearly killed us all just trying to kill a-"

"But he didn't, Rhea. We escaped with no injuries."

"Hmph." Rhea crossed her arms and frowned.

"I'm getting bored," said Agni, the one who had spoken initially. "We need to kill something."

"Don't worry, I'm here." Alpheus stepped into the hall, his tail flowing behind him. "Agni, I've got word that the demons are nearby."

"Hmm… how are we going to attack them?" asked Agni. The fire-type was sharpening his sword now. He held it in the light, then put it back in its sheath after he was satisfied.

"Alpheus… are we going to do an all out attack?" asked Theia.

The water-type thought about it. He held out his stone, and it floated in the air, glowing. "Gabriel, you heard the girl. What should we do?"

"I don't know, Alpheus… lord Arceus is god, but… well…" The voice radiated from the stone, and the others all listened. "I think it would be best if we be very careful with this. Demons can be unpredictable. Maybe only you and two negotiators? Just in case? I can communicate with your angel stones if necessary."

"Hmm… very well… Theia and Agni, you two come with me."

The psychic and fire types both nodded. "Of course," said Theia, while Agni simply grinned.

"Let's kill some demons."

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"Alright, Cain… we've got it. An Espeon… she's currently in the park a block north of here. We'll back you up, just in case…"

Cain flared his dark aura. _Sorry, Espeon. I'll make this as quick as possible._

The five quickly made their way to the park. Cain looked at the others, who nodded in encouragement. He took a deep breath, then held out his sword, a gift from Blade. He had practiced a little bit, and even impressed Blade. He walked through the park, along the main path. Nobody seemed to notice him, as they should. Finally, he saw her; a young Espeon sitting on a bench. She didn't seem to notice him.

He took a deep breath, then slowly charged a dark pulse in his palm. "I'm sorry." He spoke loudly and she looked up.

"_You're_ sorry?" She chuckled.

A flash of light erupted, and he flinched away, losing his stored energy. "What the-"

The light subsided, leaving the Espeon armored, and holding a staff in one hand. "You're one of the devils… and you know what they say; the devil's in the details!" Her eyes glowed pink, and with a wave of her arms, Cain was launched backwards with a force of telekinetic energy. He hit a tree hard, and got up, a little dizzy.

"I never hit girls, but that's it!" He summoned numerous small dark pulses like bullets, and launched the wave of darkness at her. She let out a hum, and the staff surrounded her with a wave of holy energy, blocking his attack. She quickly launched a ball of psychic energy, which he barely avoided. Then he felt the tip of her staff against his throat, and gulped.

"Sorry about this."

_Sorry, Kate… I won't see you again…_

He thought he was done for, but heard another voice, and felt the staff move off his throat. "Gah!" He opened his eyes to see Espeon had been knocked off him by Vince.

The Samurott narrowed his eyes. "An Archangel… Raphael, from what I've read in the scrolls."

The Espeon got up, a cut along her side. "Yes. I'm Theia, the incarnation of Raphael."

Then out of the shadows stepped a Flareon, sword in hand. He smiled, eyes cold and distant. "I am Agni, form of Uriel. "Ready to die, kiddies?"

Then out of the air formed the shape of a Vaporeon. "Stay calm, Agni." His voice had warning laced in the icy tone of his voice. "I am Alpheus." He half expected him to merge with his archangel's form, but he didn't.

"Cain!" He heard the voices of the other three retributors behind him. Blade, Liz, and Gail all stood next to him and Vince.

"Hmm…" The Vaporeon stared at them. "I see… Theia, Agni, we'll be leaving now." He turned to Cain. "Umbreon, we will meet again soon. Don't view this as weakness; we can beat you now. But now is not the time. Let's go." And with that, the three disappeared with a flash.

"Who were they?" asked Liz.

"Our arch enemies; the archangels."

**Okay… read and review! PLZ!**


	5. Ch4

**Chapter Four- The Fallen Angel**

"Cain!"

He blinked. "Urf… what happened?" The Umbreon clutched his head and groaned.

"You passed out after you were attacked." He blinked before sitting up. He was covered by a blanket. Liz was mixing something, and handed it to him. "This is some berry juice. Drink it and you'll feel better."

He did as she instructed, and sighed. "I remember an Espeon… and a Vaporeon… and a Flareon."

She nodded. "Yes. You were knocked around quite badly by that Espeon."

_Urgh… I lost to a psychic type… and a girl! _"Theia…" he remembered.

"Yes. She had the protection of Raphael."

He pulled himself unsteadily to his feet. He felt a little cut on his neck where her staff had been.

Outside the room, the other three retributors were waiting. They were all quiet.

"What's wrong?" asked Cain.

"It's…" began Gail, but Blade interrupted her.

"The angels. We are in serious trouble right now."

Cain blinked. _The bloodthirsty Gallade is scared? _Then he remembered how Blade had talked about them earlier.

Vince shook his head. "We mustn't panic, no. We must stay calm and plan everything out. They have threatened to try and finish us, but we must let them make the first move, or we run the risk of falling into a trap."

"Yes. We cannot afford any injuries. We'll have to stick as a group just for safety."

They all murmured in agreement.

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Cain slowly followed Kate. She was walking to her apartment. It was very dark, and streetlights were the only things that illuminated the darkness. Cain was right next to her, following her step by step. _So close, yet so far, _he thought bitterly. If his friends had been retributors for as long as they have been… he didn't like the odds of him being able to talk to her.

He had to sneak out to find her. Vince had been curious, but he had told the Samurott he was going to go to get some fresh air. It wasn't a lie, but it certainly left a lot out.

"Well, just be careful and don't wander too far away," was all the Samurott had said.

Now he had wandered a few blocks away to try and learn a little more about his old crush.

She sighed every so often, her icy breath cold enough so he that he shivered, again reminding him of how far away from her he truly was. Every so often, she would stop and look straight at Cain, but would shake her head and sigh. "Wishful thinking," was what she would mutter.

About a block away from her home, Cain saw something move in the shadows. He hesitated momentarily before walking up to it quietly. In the darkness, he saw a thief, crouched, ready to pounce on his friend. He felt anger boiling inside him. _Oh no you don't!_ He got ready to launch a dark pulse, but stepped in a small puddle. The thief looked at him, eyes wide before rushing towards him, knife extended.

He was so surprised that he didn't bother blocking. He felt it pierce his skin, but didn't feel much pain. He proceeded to blast the thief with a dark pulse, which immediately knocked out the thief.

He heard a scream behind him. He turned around to see the Glaceon pointing the body. He slowly backed into the darkness, and turned away, not wanting the Glaceon to see what had just happened. He rested a hand on his side, and realized that the cut itself was gone. He still had the cut on his neck though. _Hmm._ He looked back at the Glaceon. He got ready to walk away when he heard her say something. "C-Cain?"

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"Theia. Are you alright?"

The Espeon turned around. Standing in the doorway was Ve- no, Alpheus. She turned away. "I'm alright."

He slowly walked closer to her. She was lying on her bed, still letting her body mend the wounds that she had received. It wasn't anything too bad. _I'll get you next time, Umbreon!_ He sat on the bed next to her. "Are you okay?" he asked again.

She sighed. "You just don't let up do you? No… I couldn't finish him. It would have taken a second. Instead I apologized, and he lived because of that." She rubbed the gash on her side.

The Vaporeon stood up. "I'm glad to see you're fine," he said briskly before leaving.

She sighed. Agni was so fiery and angry a lot of the time, Rhea was so sassy and stubborn, and Alpheus was so distant and quiet. They were all supposed to be allies, yet she didn't know any of their backstories.

Agni would often taunt her for being too gentle and soft, even though she would finish their targets when necessary. But he would also incinerate anybody without hesitation. She knew that if she ever became the enemy, Agni would attack her without a second thought. Rhea was just plain stubborn, talking back to everybody like she was their superior, despite the fact that she had been here the shortest period of time. And Alpheus… well, he was the oldest and never seemed to talk much. He let Agni and Rhea do most of the arguing.

But there was one thing about him that she had learned that nobody else knew; his original name. All four of them had taken on different monikers as part of their angelic duties. Theia's original name was Saya. Alpheus' original name was Vent. She overheard his angel stone, Gabriel, call him that once.

"What's wrong?" He own angel stone began speaking gently. Raphael was always friendly with her, and probably her best friend… if he wasn't a stone. But since they were connected, they were able to understand each other quite

"I just feel… lonely sometimes. You're my best friend… but I mean, they are all so distant emotionally. I mean-"

"I know. You're wondering if they are all your allies. But my four brothers will keep them all in check."

"But are we doing the right thing? All the killing…"

The stone was silent.

She sighed. "I'm going for a walk. Are you going to come or not?"

"I'm your friend, Theia. Of course."

**OK, I am not dead. I'm alive, but I've been very busy as of late. I've sort of hit a roadblock for In the Rain, but I'm on the verge of a breakthrough (I hope) so I decided to try update this as an apology. But yeah, Please read and review _**


	6. Ch5

**Chapter Five- Kate**

Kate's hand shook as she poured Cain some tea. "I… I… Here it is," she said, handing over the cup. He smiled at her and took a sip. She had frozen up, and simply led him to her apartment once he tried talking to her. It was clear she was in shock, and he didn't blame her. She didn't seem to really believe everything that was happening, so he had remained silent most of the time.

She shook her head a few times. "I'm dreaming, I'm dreaming," she murmured.

He grabbed her hand. "It's not a dream Kate."

"Now I know it's just my imagination." She pinched her arm. "Wake up, Kate, wake up…"

He sighed, then said, "We'll talk about it later. How have you been?"

"If this is a dream, I guess I can say whatever I want. Well, I've missed you, Cain."

"I've missed you too, Kate. I've thought about everything… and there is a lot I wish I told you."

She blushed. "I really do wish I could tell you how I felt. Even when we broke up, I still missed you. I missed your hugs and gestures."

"Me too."

She smiled at him. "Remember our first date?"

"Yeah. That was awkward. By the fountain."

"I want to know… have you ever dreamed about me? Like I am now?"

He thought about what he was going to say. "Yes." He hesitated before saying, "I really did, and still do, feel you."

She smiled, and sighed. "It's too bad I have to wake up." She yawned before shaking her head. "I think I should sleep and wake up before I get too attached to you again."

He felt her kiss him on the cheek before she left to her room. "Bye bye Cain."

He sat on the couch, a smile on his face. "I got to speak to her… but how?"

"Cain." He turned around. To his surprise, he saw Giratina there. Well, a shrunken Giratina, which was still pretty big.

"Giratina."

"I didn't intend for you to speak with her."

Cain frowned. "So why did it happen?"

Giratina narrowed his eyes. "I'm not quite sure honestly… I saw you follow her earlier. But now… no. Just let her believe it's a dream."

"What? No… I can't… she'll-"

"She thinks it's a dream Cain." More gently, he said, "I've sensed an ancient threat I believe you all know about. They won't hesitate to threaten her if necessary. She'll be in more danger right now."

"Urf… She'll be so hurt… I told her it was real…"

"Cain… for now, just let her go."

The Umbreon looked at the closed door where Kate had disappeared behind. "I'll see you again."

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Saya couldn't believe what she had just seen. The Umbreon and Glaceon, both hugging. She had came out onto the street to see her target. She was so shocked that she couldn't attack him.

She didn't know exactly how the Retributors could contact the living, but she suspected it was similar to the ways they did.

Then she watched them slowly vanish into the night. She blinked. _He loved a living Pokemon. _She stood there, realizing what it meant. _He… no…_ She was lonely. And the Umbreon, her enemy, was not.

She felt snow gently fall around her; winter here.

"What's wrong, Saya? Are you lonely?" Raphael spoke gently.

"No. Just cold." She was wearing a long sleeve jacket, and zipped it up. "I'm alright."

Her stone glowed. "Don't lie to me Saya. I know you want a friend. 23 years of knowing you. I know you desire friendship."

She put her hands in her pocket. "I'm fine. I don't need anybody else," she said stubbornly.

"Why don't you talk to Agni? He's-"

"Grumpy. And homicidal. He'd kill me if he was told to."

Raphael didn't respond for awhile, before saying, "Uriel is sort of like that too I guess. Try talk to Rhea. You two are both girls."

"I could try talk to her. But she seems bent on arguing on every little thing I say." She thought about it. Rhea was the newest reincarnation of them all, being with them for a little over 10 years, a little shorter than Agni who came about 15 years ago. Then Alpheus… well, he had been around for awhile. None of them really knew how long he had been there.

"Alpheus?"

She blinked. "Yeah?"

"What do you think of him?"

"He's sort of the overseer… I get this feeling he doesn't want to make friends." Really, even Rhea would agree that the Vaporeon was… creepy? He unnerved her. He had an authority in his voice that even Agni would obey.

"You can trust him," said Raphael.

"Can I?" She was aware of the snow beginning to pile up around her feet.

"Gabriel knows him. That Vaporeon is unnerving, but his loyalty is nothing to fear."

She always did her best to try and support him. Sometimes, Agni and Rhea would say awful things about his indifference, but she didn't think that was right. Vent would never offend the others, and never gave much to talk about.

"Let's head back," she told her stone. _I won't tell them about that Umbreon._

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"Vent. Vent."

"Yes?" He was lying on his bed. Rhea had called him.

"Have you seen Theia?"

He sat up. "I thought she was recovering still."

"Well, she must be here somewhere. You told us not to leave alone."

Vent slowly pulled himself to his feet. He adjusted the picture of his old friends on his stand, and picked up his stone. "I'll get her." He closed his eyes. "Gabe, could you get me something warm?" An instant later, he was covered in warm clothes. "Thanks."

He stepped outside into the cold air, to search for Theia.

He wandered the icy streets aimlessly. He didn't really have a need to think much. Theia was competent. As long as she didn't get attacked by retributors, there wasn't anything he needed to worry about. He thought about his previous experience with his current rivals.

"_Kill her, Vent."_

_ "I can't finish her. She's my sister!"_

_ "Then I'll do it. You've seen what she's done!"_

_ "No! Don't do it! Please! She's my baby sister! You can't- NO!"_

"Vent! Vent!" He whipped around to see Theia.

He forced himself to calm down from the painful memory. "Theia… why did you call me Vent?"

"I just… err… isn't that your name?"

"Yes. But I don't go by that name. You know this, Theia."

"Sorry. I overheard you and Gabriel speaking."

He looked at the Espeon, whose personality reminded him of his little sister. He tried his best to ignore her to avoid the pain he would feel if she happened to die. "What are you doing out here?"

"I needed some air," she said with a shrug. She blinked at him a few times.

"Is something the matter?"

"No," she said hastily. "I'm ready to head back now, Alpheus."

"Alright." He paused. "Hang on…"

"What is it?" asked Theia.

They both looked down the street to see the Umbreon, looking down. He was walking straight towards them.

**Please read and review. PM me where you would like to see In the Rain go!**


	7. Ch6

**Chapter Six- An Encounter**

"Excuse me."

Cain looked up. He almost yelped in shock. "Y-you!" _It's her! That Espeon!_

She frowned. "Excuse me?"

Standing next to her was a Vaporeon. He blinked. "Do you know him, Theia?"

"Yeah. I think I've seen him at work. You don't happen to be Alec, right?"

He blinked, then said, "No." He took a deep breath. "That's not me." He quickly continued walking off into the snow. His thoughts were still clouded with Kate. _She'll be so hurt._

He paused. _No. Wait… how could they have seen me if…? _He turned around, and the two Eons were still standing there, staring back at him. _But why didn't they attack me? _When they didn't move, he continued to walk back to the apartment the rest of the retributors were staying. He periodically checked to make sure he wasn't being followed, but never saw anything.

When he got in, he locked the door. He shivered. He had just encountered two of the angels. But they hadn't attacked him. He didn't understand what they were planning.

"Cain. Are you alright?"

Behind him, he heard Gail. "I'm fine. I just needed some air."

"You look scared."

"I… I might have encountered some angels."

"What?! How?"

"I went to visit Kate-"

"Cain! We were told to stick together!"

"I know. But they didn't attack me. I don't know why. But they were watching me…"

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Saya stood there in the snow next to Vent. The two of them watched the Umbreon walk away from them. At one point, he looked back at them, before turning around and hurrying off.

"Vent?"

"Yes?"

"Why didn't we attack him?"

"Why should we?" He turned around and starting walking back.

She blinked before following him. "I don't want to attack him. But I thought that they are our rivals!"

The Vaporeon didn't respond and continued to walk. She growled in frustration.

"What's your problem anyway?!" she burst out. "You never tell us anything but what to do!"

He stopped. "I-"

"I mean, who the hell are you anyway?!"

He was silent, until he quietly said, "I'm 212 years old."

She gasped. "Wait, really?"

"I died when I was 24. 188 years later, and I'm an angel." He added, "I've seen a lot of comrades lost. You don't attack retributors without a plan. In fact," he said hesitantly, "I… I was a retributor…"

"What?!"

He turned away from her. "Yeah. I was Vent, a retributor. I… I had a sister… Alara. She was an angel…"

"Wait, both of you were recruited to fight each other?"

"Yes. Don't forget, angels and retributors are those who stand in the balance and are given another chance." He paused. "Honestly, there isn't much of a difference between use other than angels have done slightly more good than bad,"

"How come you never told anyone this before?" She was confused. _Vent? A retributor?_

"Does it matter?"

"I… I don't know." _Our leader… was once the enemy? _"B… but what happened? To your sister? And what changed you…?

He walked on, signaling he didn't want to talk to her. She sensed there was something more behind this, but knew he had felt uncomfortable telling her everything he already had.

The frozen streets were illuminated by only the streetlights overhead, while smoke billowed from the tops of some buildings. She sighed. There was still so much she needed to know.

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Cain and the others trudged through the snow. He had put on a coat to keep warm. It was cold enough so that he could see his breath. He was still troubled. All five of them were very concerned with the angels. They hadn't attacked him and he didn't know why. It had been three days since, and they hadn't picked up any trace of the angels.

He thought he had seen the Vaporeon watching him, but it had turned out to be nothing.

"Cain, are you okay? You've seemed off…" began Liz.

"I'm fine," he said hurriedly. "Just tense. You never know when we might be attacked." Which obviously wasn't the reason. They hadn't received any killing orders for the past 3 days, but he couldn't stop thinking about Kate.

He had not seen her since Giratina had told him to leave, but he felt awful for what happened.

_Cain. Cain._

He blinked. "Yeah, Gail?"

The Swellow frowned. "I never said anything, Cain."

"What? But I…"

_Cain. You need help. Kate is in danger!_

"Pardon?" he said, turning to Vince.

But the Samurott was far ahead. It couldn't have been him. "What's going on?" he murmured.

_Cain! What are you doing? Listen to me!_

_ Who are you?_

_ Names don't matter. Your friend is in danger and she needs our help._

He frowned. _Where are you?_

_ I'm right by you Cain. You can't see me._

_ How do I know you'll help me?_

_ What would I have against you?_

"Guys… I'm going to go get some water… I'm feeling a little funny."

"Okay… be careful now, Cain."

He dashed off towards Kate's apartment. _So what's going on?_

_ She's… troubled. You must help her!_

_ What? Is she…?_

_ Yes! Hurry!_

He ran as quickly as he could to her apartment. "Kate!" He pounded on the door.

_She's not here…_ The voice sounded somber. _I thought… check the roof, Cain!_

He ran up to the top of the building. He burst out onto the top. There she was, at the very edge. _Oh god, she's going to jump… _"Kate!" he screamed.

She shook her head. "Not again, Cain. I'm coming to join you. Wait for me…"

She tensed her legs, ready to jump off the apartment. Cain ran, and caught her in the side, knocking her away from the edge. "Kate, don't you dare…"

"Oh lord Arceus, why must you tease me with his image… when I can't communicate with him?"

"KATE! I'M HERE!" he shouted out. She blinked.

"Cain? Wait… no… this is… this must be a dream. You died… I can't…"

He wrapped his arms around her. "Kate… it's really me… Cain…"

She froze as he hugged her. "Cain… are you really here?" she whispered.

"Yes Kate… I promise. This is no dream."

**What's going to happen next now that Kate has met Cain? Ooh… please read and review! AGAIN, IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS FOR IN THE RAIN, PM ME IT.**


	8. Ch7

**Chapter Seven- Those in the Shadows**

Kate looked at Cain, tears in her eyes. "Why? Why do you torture me? Why won't you just let me forget you?" She started trying to hit him. "Just leave me alone… just…" She sobbed and hugged him. "Lord Arceus, don't let this dream end… I'll…"

Cain and Kate lay there, the two of them happier than they had been since his death.

"It's a dream… but… your warmth…" She whimpered. "It's so real…"

_How do I prove that I am real and not just a dream… some way to prove it._ "Kate… I'm here…" He hugged her tightly. "I left you twice before… once when I was alive, and once when I was dead. Not anymore."

"Cain… I… I… I never worked up the courage, but now… I… I loved you."

Cain paused. The two of them had dated for a long time, but to hear her finally say it…

She smiled. "That's how you would react… if you were here…" Her eyes were still teary. "Cain… I feel like I must be going crazy or something… but… I feel it. You… you're here. Only if you were actually here would you react like that… tell me… are you real?"

"Yes… I… I promise you. This is no dream. I won't leave you this time."

The Glaceon closed her eyes, then said, "I believe you…"

"Really?"

She hugged him tighter. "I don't know why I believe you. I shouldn't. But I do. Just… cuddle with me…"

"But…"

"Shush. You explain it to me in the morning…"

"But on the roof. You get a cold…"

She smiled. "I'm an ice type, you idiot."

He hugged her tighter. "Tomorrow… you will know everything. I promise."_ Thank you for being so accepting, Kate. Thank you…_

"I'll hold you to that Cain." The two of them just looked up at the stars, enjoying the happiness of being together.

A few minutes of silence passed before she fell asleep. Cain just hugged her. _Thank you…_

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"Gah! Wh- Cain!"

"Kate? What's wrong?"

"Wh- wh- what is this? You're… you're… you're dead!"

"I thought you said you believed me!"

"I do! I thought I was hallucinating! But it's clearly morning and I'm wide awake and… you're actually here!"

Cain sighed. "I promised that I'd tell you what happened."

"I… We're on the roof…" She looked at him intently. "Are you for real?"

"Yes." He took a deep breath. "I'm a retributor. A retributor hunts those who are evil and bring death to them. Only a select few can become retributors. But, put in short, I am in fact… dead."

"Oh my Cain… you… I…"

"I know… I thought you took it all too calmly yesterday night. So I'll prove it." Cain closed his eyes, and willed himself to slowly vanish from sight.

Kate covered her mouth. "My god…"

He reappeared. "See? I'm here."

"So… my ex-boyfriend is a dead reaper now… that's a first." She shook her head, still confused.

"It's a lot to take in, but…"

"Can others see you?"

"Only other retributors and angels."

"Angels…? Forget I asked… I need to take a breather. What about your friends? Can I meet them?"

"Of course. They're… here, you'll have to come outside with me."

She looked hesitant. "Will… will they be okay with me? Like, am I someone who needs to be killed?"

"Oh no! They… there's nothing that they would want to kill you for." Cain had almost forgotten about the voice that spoke up now. _I'm glad you found her. You should bring her to the rest of your friends._ "Here, let's meet them."

She paused, then sighed. "Perhaps they can explain better than you exactly what's going on."

"You told me not to explain…"

"Well…" She smiled. "Explaining was never your strong suit."

The two of them quickly made their way over to where Cain had met the rest of the retributors. He opened the door. "Guys, I'm back…" The others all looked at him, surprised.

"Oh, good, you didn't get hurt," said Gail.

Liz huffed. "Let us know next time."

"That'd be wise," added Vince.

Blade just shook his head. "Fool. You got your ass kicked by a girl who you have a type advantage over. What would you do if you encountered that Vaporeon? Oh that's right, you met them and they spared you… and… who's the girl?"

"This is Kate, she's…"

The Glaceon looked around. "So… uh, how are you guys?"

All of the others seemed shocked. "Wait… how can she see us?" murmured Liz.

"I… is there something wrong with me?" Kate self-consciously looked over her body.

"No… just…" Vince's voice trailed off. "Who is this girl?"

"She's my girlfriend… or was…"

"Wha- what's wrong? Am I no supposed to see you?"

"Err…" Blade looked at Cain. "No really, who is this girl? This is unnatural… if Giratina deemed you worthy, you'd be able to contact others. But it's only her, and all 5 of us can contact her."

"C-Cain isn't lying. We hadn't seen each other for awhile, but… we were… well…"

Liz rubbed her temples. "This is making my head hurt. This shouldn't be happening, but…"

Kate blinked. "So it is true… Cain was telling the truth…"

"But you're not." Vince narrowed his eyes. "I know exactly what you are, Glaceon."

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Saya and Vent both didn't say anything until they got back inside. Agni and Rhea were both sleeping, and Saya headed to her room. Vent silently went to his room as well.

Saya flopped onto her bed. "Raphael…" The stone floated up over her head.

"What is it, Saya?" The stone flashed.

"I'm not feeling too good. Could you check me over?"

The stone flashed a few more times, then said, "Your vitals are all fine. You're not sick."

"It's not physical. It's more… I can't explain it… but I'm not feeling great."

"You get some rest Saya. I'll…"

"Please talk with me. I need to get the burden off my chest."

"Talk about… your past?"

"Yes. You know right? When we merge."

Raphael flashed. "Yes. I know about what you did. It was a terrible thing, but you did lots of good as well. You saved your only daughter."

Painful memories flashed through Saya's mind. "I know. But who wouldn't save their child?" She flinched slightly, before adding, "I couldn't see her. I don't even know where she is. She shouldn't have existed."

Saya felt a warm light wash over her body. "It's alright, Saya. I'm sure she's alright. Still… how do you feel about Vent?"

"He…" She had kept quiet about it before, but part of the reason she lost her temper… "He's a better person," she croaked. "They still look so similar…" Her voice was now barely a whisper. "But he's not the same. Vent… may have done some bad things, but out of the other angels, he's the only one I trust somewhat. None of them are really friendly though."

"Really… He has a strange past… he told you he was once a demon, right?"

"Yeah." She was curious now. "Do you know about that?"

"Yes. He told me he was once a retributor. They're on the other side of the balance. You angels are here to keep them in check while punishing the evil. They have the same mission, but in order to keep one side from going on a killing spree, you are forced to fight one another. It's a dangerous game the creator and destroyer are playing."

"How did he change? Why did he change?"

"His younger sister and him were caught in an accident. He became a retributor, she became an angel. After cornering her, the other retributors killed her despite their relations."

"Are those the same retributors now?"

"No. Those who killed his sister were killed by him."

"So how did he become an angel then?"

"He did the job angels would, and a spot opened after his sister was murdered. So he took it and became one of you."

"Did he kill our predecessors?" She swallowed. "If he-"

"Your predecessors were all lost in battle against other retributors or relieved of duties and sent to heaven."

She blinked. She could never imagine the quiet Vaporeon would go berserk and kill his allies. _Would he hurt us?_ Her mouth felt dry. "He is 212 years old… he is truly horrifying."

Raphael flashed. "That was just in the afterlife. The way he died in his first life… I will not talk about that. There is more hate than-"

"That'll be enough, brother."

Saya whipped around. Standing in the doorway was Vent. He held Gabriel's stone in one hand and his sword in the other. "You think I'm a monster, don't you?"

"N-no, I…"

"Saya… Theia… I've been here listening to everything. You had a daughter?"

"I… yes." She looked away. "I had a daughter."

The Vaporeon, for the first time as far as she could recall, looked sympathetic. "What happened?"

"I couldn't protect her." Saya twitched her pronged tail. "I…"

"Who was the father?"

She looked at him, then said, "A Vaporeon I believe."

"What does that mean?"

"I was a prostitute. A slut. Whatever you call it. From your time, they probably existed too. But once I had her, I started working. I turned around and helped others at the hospital, trying to help the nurses there. Then one day, they came. From my past of working behind the law, they wanted me back. I refused, and they kidnapped her. I went to save her and died, though she did escape."

The Vaporeon, much to her surprise, sat next to her on the bed. "I lost my little sister… losing your daughter must be so much worse."

"She shouldn't have existed. I freed her, but what could have happened? Was she raised by them? Was she orphaned? Is she dead? I don't know. But I do my duty of killing in hope of reuniting with her one day and apologizing."

Vent was silent, then said, "The killing isn't something I enjoy either. We need to keep retributors in check, but they're just like us. I know." Hurt flashed in his eyes.

"Vent…" She reached out for him, but he stood up.

"I'll make sure you see your daughter. I promise." He quickly walked out the door.

"I…" She huffed. "How can you do something like that?" she muttered. "Raphael… you haven't found anything on her right?"

The stone paused before saying, "No. I'm no computer, but I haven't sensed any life force like yours."

"Alright, if you say so."

_ I will find you… no matter how many deaths it takes, my precious daughter._


End file.
